Betrayal of Love
by RuneFeather114
Summary: The Liars find out that Ezra is A. Can the girls help Aria get over this massive betrayal? Based on the latest Halloween episode and cast and crew tweets. Includes most main characters and Sparia friendship.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Just trying to pass the time until PLL comes back next year. Call it PLL-withdrawal if you will. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Feel free to post reviews. I don't own anything._

**Chapter 1**

It can't be true, it just can't. He can't be A. How can he be A? It wasn't possible. And yet, as much as I tried to convince myself of that, deep down in my heart I knew that it was the truth. All the pieces fit; we were all just too blind to see it.

Ezra was A. It had been he who had tormented us, who tried to hurt us and our loved ones. It was Ezra who had made our lives a living hell these past two years. Hanna had tried to tell me. She suspected him, but I didn't listen. I didn't want to. I didn't want to believe it was Ezra. Emily didn't either. We both scoffed at the idea. He was Aria's soul mate; he would never have done anything to hurt her. I grimace, thinking back to our secret meeting before school not two days ago.

_"I'm telling you there's something going on with Ezra."_

_"Hanna, I'm sure it's nothing. Ezra was probably just trying to get a cup of coffee before school and Mona cornered him. Who knows, she's trying to be innocuous, maybe she was just talking about school. If it was something else, Ezra knows what she's capable of. He knows she'll try to worm herself into every apple she can find," I reply, rolling my eyes, not putting it past Mona to try something just as Aria and Ezra had gotten back together._

_"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm telling you, something's up with Ezra. Don't you find it strange that he kept his hand in his pocket the whole time while driving us back to Rosewood, and then when he gave Aria back her phone?_

_"It was a cold night," said Emily, uncertainly. She didn't want to believe there was anything wrong with Ezra any more than I did, especially now that Aria had just broken things off with Jake to get back with him._

_"Em, there was a thick bandage around his hand." Hanna turned to face me. "Didn't you say you cut A's hand with some garden shears in Ravenswood?"_

_"Yeah, I mean I know I got his hand, but he was wearing gloves. I don't know if I actually managed to cut him or not," I say._

_"Guys," Emily cuts of Hanna's retort. We both turn to look at her. Ezra was walking towards us, his hands in his pockets._

_"Hey Mr Fitz," we all say in greeting._

_"Girls," he nods, before smiling at someone behind us. I turn around to see Aria shooting him a smile as he walks past._

_"Hey," Aria greets us, a small smile still etched on her face. "What's going on?"_

_"Uh nothing, just getting ready for class," says Emily while I look pointedly at Hanna. She gives a subtle nod, but I knew that she wasn't going to let it go so easily._

"I hope Aria's okay," says Emily, sitting next to me in the passenger seat, breaking me out of my reverie. I just nod, not trusting myself to speak right now as worry courses through me. Hanna, Emily and I had just received an SOS message from Aria. She was at Ezra's, the two of them having planned a movie night while Emily and I were at my place doing some homework. Hanna had been at home, talking on the phone with Caleb. Neither of us had been able to get into contact with Aria after her text. We were all praying that she was alright as we sped towards Ezra's apartment, ignoring all speed limits.

Five minutes later Emily and I arrive outside Ezra's. Hanna was just getting out if her car ahead of us.

"Anything?" She asks as we reach her.

"Nothing since the SOS," Emily replies.

"Let's go," I say and together we rush towards the stairs. There's no sound to be heard as we approach Ezra's door. When we're close enough, I see that the door is hanging slightly ajar. Behind that small opening, what little I can see of his apartment seems trashed. I look at the other two, their mirrored expressions of horror telling me that they'd seen it too. We barge into the room.

"Aria?" Emily calls out.

"Guys." We all turn toward the small voice coming from the far corner of the room. Aria's small frame sits hunched on the ground, tears streaming down her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Aria," I whisper, as we rush towards her. My heart breaks as I see Aria trying to contain her tears. She looks so fragile, her arms wrapped around her knees as she rocks back and forth. It reminds me of my own breakdown when I found out that Toby had joined the A team. I shake my head. I don't have time to reminisce right now, Aria needs me. She needs us. Emily reaches her first and wraps her arms around Aria. Hanna and I do the same. She's sobbing uncontrollably now, her brief moment of control gone.

"It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay." Even as I say the words, I know they're a lie. They're feeble words of comfort, but what more can I say? Hanna and Emily spare me a brief glance before returning their attention back to Aria. We continue to hold her, none of us saying anything. Aria's cries are the only sound in the dark apartment. I feel so helpless. I silently curse Ezra; I swear he's going to pay for this.

* * *

It's past midnight. The four of us are at my house, since my parents are both out of town for the week. We'd managed to coax Aria to come with us back to my place. We still don't know what went on between her and Ezra; she's barely spoken a word since we'd found her. Every once in a while fresh tears fill her eyes before making their way down her face. She won't look any of us in the eye, and rebuffs any attempt at conversation. Hanna and Emily insisted on staying the night, and have already settled in my room. None of us want to leave Aria alone tonight.

* * *

The sun shines through a crack in the curtain, waking me up. The others are still asleep. I look around at Aria. It took her about an hour to drift off last night. She's sleeping peacefully now, although we all heard her waking up in the early hours of the morning. It took us a while for us to calm her down again and get her to go back to sleep. I decide to go downstairs to make breakfast. About ten minutes later, I hear someone walking down the steps. I look up from making eggs, expecting to see Hanna or Emily, but it's Aria. She looks a little worse for wear; there are bags under her bloodshot eyes and her hair is messy from sleep and the events of the previous day.

"Hey." I say tentatively.

"Hey," she replies in a quiet voice, looking at the ground as she walks into the kitchen. She still doesn't look at me as she slides into a chair, her eyes focused on her hands which she's placed on the table top.

"Do you want some breakfast?" I ask, deciding that it was better to get some food into her before asking any questions.

"Sure," she says unenthusiastically, still playing with her hands. I slide a plate of eggs and toast before her, as well as a cup of coffee. She doesn't eat anything but instead just pushes the food around on the plate. I can't stand it anymore; I can't stand seeing Aria so broken. I need to do something, anything.

"Aria," I begin, but she cuts me off.

"How did you do it?" Aria asks quietly, meeting my eyes for the first time. I look at her questioningly, even though I know exactly what she's asking. "How do you get past the pain?" Every moment I can feel it eating away at me." She looks down at the table, unable to meet my eyes as tears begin to fill her own. The pain in her eyes is so palpable I can feel my heart breaking again. I open my mouth to respond, but am spared by having to answer as Hanna and Emily come down the stairs.

"Hey Aria," Hanna says enthusiastically, her tone contradicting the obvious worry in her eyes that mirrors Emily's, and I'm sure my own.

"Hey Hanna, Emily," Aria replies in a monotone, again pushing her untouched breakfast around her plate with a fork. We all exchange worried glances, before Emily takes her turn at trying to coax out Aria.

"Aria, what happened last night?" Emily asks gently. We also see Aria tense up, and by the look in her eyes I know that Emily's words have taken her back to that night.

* * *

_AN: Sorry for the wait, especially given that it's a bit of a short chapter. I'd originally planned a longer one but I've decided to split it into two. The next chapter, which is in Aria's POV, should be up within a couple of days. I probably should've written this at the top, but yeah. I don't own anything. _


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I've got exams tomorrow so unfortunately I won't be able to update for the next week or so. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own Pretty Little Liars. _

* * *

**Chapter 3**

[Aria POV]

I freeze, not knowing what to say. I don't want to talk about what happened last night. I don't even want to think about it, but Emily's words take my unwilling mind back to yesterday afternoon. I was settled on Ezra's couch, waiting as he made us some popcorn for our movie night.

_"What movie should we watch first?" I asked, flicking through a stack of black and white movies._

_"Anything you want," Ezra replied. "I'm not fussed. I'm just glad that I get to spend tonight with you," he says, coming over with the popcorn and placing a kiss on my head. I smiled, happy to be back with Ezra. I turn my body towards his, putting my arms around his neck, pulling him closer._

_"Maybe," I say slowly, "we can skip the movie and move on to more…interesting past times," I say, planting my lips onto his. I can feel him smiling as we kiss. _

_"I like the idea of that," he says, pulling me in for a longer, deeper kiss. We were happily reacquainting ourselves with one another when my phone went off. Damn. I really should have turned it off._

_ "Aren't you going to answer that?" Ezra asks._

_"Let's ignore it." I say, about to pull him in again. He stops me._

_"What if it's something important? _

_"I'm sure it's nothing," I say. He relents, if somewhat reluctantly. Looking back, that should have been my second clue that something was wrong. The first was the thick bandage covering his hand. I'd asked him about it, but he just waved me off, saying that he'd burnt himself while trying to teach himself how to cook French vegan food. I should have known something was wrong; the signs were all there. Hindsight really is a bitch. _

_Things started to really go wrong not long after my phone had rung. I was just washing up in the bathroom when I came out to see Ezra going through my bag._

_"What are you looking for?" I asked warily. He looked up, an almost manic look in his eye, and truth be told it scared me. _

_"Where is she?" His voice wasn't raised, but the tone, it was cold and venomous. A shiver ran up my spine._

_"Where's who? Ezra, who are you looking for? What's going on?" _

_"Where's Alison?" He said, this time much more firmly. "Where is she Aria? I know you've seen her." I was in shock. How did Ezra know about Alison? _

_"Ezra, what are you talking about? Alison's dead. We went to her funeral." Mentally, I cringed at my words. It was still so surreal. Ali wasn't dead. No, she was very much alive. Until we'd seen her at Halloween, I'd never believed it. I'd wanted to, but despite Hanna's adamantly saying she'd seen her at the Lodge, and Spencer not doing much in the way of denying Hanna's claims, I couldn't. Not even Mrs Grunwald's story really convinced me. I mean, I barely knew her; she could've been lying for all I knew. I couldn't stand to think that Alison was alive, only to have it all pulled out under me as my hopes came crashing down. No, that would've been too painful. It was easier to believe she was dead. Then I saw her. She was scared. Brief though out reunion was, that much I could be sure. The look was plain on her face, no matter how much she tried to hide it with her bravado. Ezra had shown up with my phone not long after. Had he seen her? _

_Ezra crossed the room and placed his hands roughly on my shoulders. His burnt hand didn't even seem to bother him at all. I was scared now, bordering on very scared. I didn't get what was going on, nor did I get the crazy look in his eyes as he looked deep into my own._

_"Don't lie to me Aria. I know you've seen her. WHERE IS ALISON?" His voice had risen into a yell now and he emphasised each word by gripping my shoulders tighter and tighter. _

_"Ezra, you're scaring me. What's going on?" I whispered, trying but failing to escape his grasp. _

_"TELL ME!" There was something in his hand. I hadn't noticed before, but it was my phone. There was a message, which evidently Ezra had opened. It was a photo. My eyes widen as I realise who it is. Alison. _


End file.
